Recent world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button saw their new Formula One car for the first time when it was unveiled by McLaren at a public event in Berlin yesterday.

The British team revealed the MP4-26 piece by piece as it was assembled in front of fans at Potsdamer Platz, with Hamilton and Button providing the finishing touches.

“This is our new baby!” Button said.

“I love it. I think it looks great,” said Hamilton, the 2008 world champ.

“The way the car is shaped out, I think it’s so much better than any other car I’ve seen this year. Hopefully that’ll translate into a good feel on the track. I’m pretty sure it will.”

The car — with a new electric hybrid engine system — appears markedly different from last year’s model, with prominent U-shaped sidepods to feed air to the rear in response to the new rules on downforce.

There’s also an electronically adjustable rear-wing system which increases the potential for overtaking.

“This is the car we hope will take one of us to win the driver’s championship and also the constructors’,” Button said. “We’re making very good progress.”

The 2009 world champ said this year’s championship would be even more competitive than the last, when there was an unprecedented five-driver tussle for the title, won on the final day by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.

“The competitiveness of the teams now in Formula One, and also the drivers, is the best it has ever been,” Button said.

“You have five world champions on the grid, but you also have other drivers who are close. You have Mark Webber, Felipe Massa ...

“I think it’s going to be a good fight this year, but hopefully not too good. Hopefully we’re going to have a few tenths on everyone.”

Hamilton said good communication between the drivers and the team was a foundation for success: “We also want to win and they’re just as passionate as us.”

While happy to parade the car in front of fans and media, McLaren did not divulge too much on technical details or the changes made to the car.

“Be warned,” said team principal Martin Whitmarsh. “There are some bits you can see but hopefully some you can’t. We haven’t shown you, or our competitors, our full hand yet.”

The FIA-imposed rule changes lead many to expect more overtaking, and McLaren has great expectations for its electronically adjustable rear-wing system to give it an advantage.

Button was unsure if could be used as an advantage if teammates overtake each other and drive in each other’s slipstream.

“As soon as a car passes you’re in dirty air, so I can’t see it working,” Button said. “But now you mentioned it, we’ll have to try it out.”

McLaren finished second in the 2010 constructors’ championship, and Lewis and Button were fourth and fifth respectively.

They begin team track testing in the MP4-26 in Jerez, Spain on Tuesday.